Even yesterday an economist wound up his speech with a question:
'6% or elections?'
As I have already reported next year will see elections here and this
represents an enormous expense for such a poor country.
We the students are arguing for the 6% by making the following points:
- The salary for deputies and other government agents is very high (about
3,000 US$ per month)
- Not to mention what they steal.
Another argument is against payment of the national debt, according to some
opposition delegates this is the main issue.
One common argument against the 6% increase is that it would have to come
out of the budget for health care or some other equally or more important
service such as primary education. The government has stated quite openly
that primary education will take precedence and that it is a luxury to
maintain a subsidised university education service.
Control of primary and secondary schools has proved easy; nearly all of them
have been privatised, pupils have tried to make some kind of protest but to
no avail.
So the danger of university education disappearing or being privatised is a
real onee: the Nicaraguan people will only be able to achieve primary or,
with luck, secondary level education since the cost of a private university
education - enrolment fees, materials etc and above all one must remember
that the student is not employed which is a great loss for all hir family -
would be too high, although costs would be justifiably less for workers it
must be realised that Nicaraguan people would not be able to take on
professional positions or have professional experience which would help them
influence change in their communities. I'm not saying that a university
education would be the only string in their bow but it would be one and an
important one.
javier wilson
dlabs@ibw.com.ni
http://www.ibw.com.ni/~dlabs/
managua, nicaragua
FREEDOM PRESS
http://www.lglobal.com/TAO/Freedom